Bust supporter



E. M. OLSEN BUST SUPPORTER Sept. 11, 1956 Filed Oct. 14, .1954

illnited States Patent BUST SUPPORTER Emmy M. Olsen, Skovlunde, Denmark Application October 14, 1954, Serial No. 462,324 Claims priority, application Denmark March 26, 1954 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-42) The present invention relates to an improved bust support for use during periods of pregnancy.

Bust supports are known in which two breast cups are interconnected by means of a back band, and each has attached thereto an end strap, which straps cross each other at the front to hold the bust support in position, and are fastened by means of suitably arranged attachment members.

Hitherto known bust supports of this type are eX- clusively intended for use as a support for the bust during normal conditions, but they are unsuitable for use during pregnancy when the bust as well as the abdomen expands. The reason for this is that the parts of the support carrying the breast cups are made to a predetermined length corresponding to dress sizes, and an expansion of the breast and abdomen would cause the said parts to cut more or less into the body, especially beneath the breasts and at the sides of the breasts facing the arm pits. This condition is very injurious to the person wearing such a bust support and may cause the formation of tumors.

It is known for nursing purposes to use bust supports with breast cups arranged to be individually unfastened so that each breast cup may be folded down to allow nursing. Such relatively separated breast cups are held together by means of lacing. In order to maintain an attractive bust line it is necessary that the bands carrying the breast cups are sewn together at least along the waist line. Such a bust support is, however, unsuitable during a period of pregnancy, because the connected bands may, and will, cut into the body when expansion takes place.

The main object of the invention is to provide a bust support of the type described which may be used during a period of pregnancy without causing inconvenience to the wearer. The circumstances to be taken into consideration during such a period are various. The body undergoes considerable alterations including an expansion of the breasts and an expansion of the diaphragm and the abdomen. Since a bust support of the type in question extends down over the diaphragm, a bust support of this type as hitherto made Will cause the band to cut into the body beneath the bust when expansion takes place. Even if a piece of elastic material is inserted in the band, the stitching connecting the breast cups to the band will cut into the body. An elastic insert is used only to provide resiliency for breathing purposes.

According to the invention these drawbacks are overcome by interconnecting the two breast cups by means of a back band projecting below the cups, two wing members each attached to an end of the back band below a cup and to the lower edge of this cup and elongated to the shape of an end strap, attachment members applied to the extreme end of each of the two end straps on the front and the rear side respectively of the support, a group of other attachment members for coaction with tumors.

each of the aforesaid attachment members applied to the rear and front side respectively of the back band the attachment members of each group being arranged in a row curving upwards from the lower edge of the back band approximately in the direction of the centre of the nearest breast cup, and coacting clasp members attached to the edges of the cups facing each other when the breast support is in use and arranged for varying the relative spacing of the cups.

When such a bust support is arranged in position at the commencement of a period of pregnancy, it will serve as an ordinary bust support, the attachment and clasp members being fitted for smallest circumference. Already during the early stages of the period a considerably larger expansion of the breasts than of the abdomen takes place owing to the early flow of milk to the breasts. This expansion is met by altering the interconnection between the breast cups Without altering the general position of the bust support, because the cups have considerable freedom of movement between their clasp-ing members and the points of attachment of the end straps and wing members crossing each other. During the further progress of pregnancy expansion of the abdomen and diaphragm then commences, and this necessitates an alteration of the attachment members of the end straps of the Wing members irrespective of the adjustment of the breast cups. In this manner it is thus possible to adjust the breast cups and the end straps and wing members independently of each other during the various stages of pregnancy without incurring the formation of folds across the breasts, because the readjustment of the attachment members of the end straps and wing members will always follow the curvature of the abdomen and diaphragm Without disturbing the adjustment of the breast cups. The independent adjustment of the breast cups serve to hold the breasts separated from each other without causing them to be pressed aside towards the arm pits.

Hitherto known bust supports are made for use under normal conditions, and the cups are made as small as practical in order to lift the breasts to ensure an attractive bust line and the use of a minimum of material. For use during a period of pregnancy such bust supports are unsuitable because the breasts, during expansion due to the flow of milk, will be pressed outwardly towards the arm pits, and this is liable to cause the formation of According to the invention this is countered by increasing the height of the back band and the adjacent upper portions of the cups is such a manner that these parts support the upper part of the breast and the part thereof facing the arm pit.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a bust support according to the invention laid out flat and seen from the outer side, and

Fig. 2 shows the same bust support viewed from the inner side.

The bust support according to the invention comprises two breast cups 1 and 2 made of a suitable fabric and reinforced by means of stitchings 3. The two cups are interconnected by means of a back band 4 in the middle of which there is inserted a piece of elastic material 5 to provide resiliency to the back band. To the lower curved edge of each cup 1 and 2 and to the adjacent end of the back band 4 is attached a wing member 6 and 7 respectively, each said wing member having in elongation thereof a strap member, 6a and 7a respectively, which projects somewhat beyond the cup to which the wing is attached. Adjacent the outer edge (when in use) of each breast cup 1 and 2 respectively there are arranged clasp members, e. g. as shown hooks 10 on the 7 indicated by 1a and 2a in Fig. 1.

in several rows behind each other on the inner side of the support. The strap members 6av and 7a have -on their extreme ends attachment means, viz hooks 8 on the outer side of elongation 6a, and hooks 9ton the inner side of elongation 7a. The back band 4 is provided with 1 two groups of eye members arranged inra row behind each other, the one group 12 being arranged nearthe breast cup 1 on the outer side of the back band, the

other group 13 being arranged similarly near the other breast cup, on the inner side of the back band. The

groups of eye members 12 and 13 are each curved upwardly from along the centre of the adjacent breast cup tensioningof the body will occur since a loosening of the strap members will at the same timeloosen the breast cups, and a loosening of the breast cups in relation to each other will prevent pressure and chafing of the breasts. v

The support shown is provided with suitable shoulder straps 14 of conventional type.

;The upper edges of the back'band and the adjacent portions of the breast cups 1 and 2 have enlargements These enlargements are so shaped that when the bust support is in use they embrace the transition from each breast to the adjacent arm pit. The dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1 indicate the limit of these enlargements.

When applying the bust support to the body, the back band is placed across the back and the two cups are each placed over a breast, whereupon wing member 6 is drawn across the chest below cup 2under the back band, and its hooks 8 are hooked into-one of the eye members in group 13 to ensure a snug'fitting. Thereupon the other wing member 7 is drawn across the chest below cup 1 over the back band 4 and its hooks are hooked into one of the eye members in group 12. Finally the cups 1 and 2 are assembled by hooking the hooks into one of the rows of eye members 11.

Thus attachment of the wings to the back band takes place at the sides of the body leaving free movement between a breast cup and the wing member crossing below the cup.

As the wearers breast and abdomen expand it is possible, by means of the rows of attachment members, to

' outer side of the support, and eye membersll arranged expand the bust support partly by altering the distance between the breast cups by means of-eye members 11,

and partly by moving the'hooks 9 and 10 to other eye members 12 and 13.

It will readily be understood that. even though the attachment meansare shown in the shaperof hooks and eyes, it is possible to employ any other suitable attachment members such as e. g. press fasteners.

I declare that what I claim is: g

1. A bust support garment comprising, in combination, a back band having two lateral edges, two breast cups, each having a lateral edge secured to the'upper part of each back band edge, a wing member inelongation of each back band end and attached below'the' adjacent breast cupto the lower part of said back band edge and a lower curved edge of the breast cup, an end strap in elongation of each said wing member, which wing members and end straps in combination are adapted to serve as a'girdle portion covering the diaphragm of the wearer, fastener members attached to the extreme ends of opposite sides of the two end straps, a group of fastener members disposed at either side of the center of the back band and, attached 'to the front and rear side respectively of the back band, the fastener members of each group arranged in a row curving upwardly from the lower edge of the back band approximately in the direction of the center of the adjacent one of said breast cups, each of said fasteners of a group beng arranged to cooperate with the fastener members attached to the end strap 'farthest from the group, and

coacting fastenermembers' attached to the edges of the breast cups facing each other when the garment is in 'use, and arranged for varying the relative spacing of the breast cups. V j

2. The bust support garment of claim 1,wherein each breast cup and the adjacent part of the back bandhas an upwardly extending portion adapted to support the upper part of the breast and the part thereof facing the arm pit of the wearer. v r

, References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED sTgrTEs PATENTS 

